Does Weight Watchers owe you an apology? In a dramatic move, the CEO of Weight Watchers issues a public apology for its past stance on weight loss, and describes a new plan for moving forward. If you are a current member of WW or have been one in the past, you’ll want to read this.
- FREE! Lastest WW Updates
- Weight Watchers CEO Sima Sistani Apologizes
- Changes in How We View Weight Loss
- A New WW Approach with Prescription Weight-Loss Drugs
- Oprah Weight Loss Drug Announcement
- Is Weight Watchers In It for the Money?
- What Members are Saying
- My Beliefs – From Someone with a WW Before & After Success Story
Weight Watchers CEO Sima Sistani Apologizes
Weight Watchers has issued a public apology for its past approach to weight loss.
The apology from CEO Sima Sistani is ground-breaking and controversial. Here is a two-minute video clip of the interview with Sistani and a reporter from CNN Business.
The Weight Watchers weight loss program is known for its points system and community support. The trademarked food tracking system will remain in place, and the current program will not change this year.
Meetings will continue, both online and in person, although many local meeting locations have been closed in favor of a stronger emphasis on online support.
Still, it’s obvious that WW is embracing change by incorporating the option for prescription weight loss drugs like Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Zepbound through the program Sequence.
Changes in How We View Weight Loss
WeightWatchers is trying to be at the forefront of a new wave in weight management with the use of GPL-1s (such as semaglutide) for weight loss. These medications have been used for diabetic patients for almost 10 years and have recently been approved for weight loss.
For many people, the weight loss on GLP-1s is dramatic. More than just reducing appetite, users describe a reduction in “food noise” like obsessive thoughts about food and compulsive eating behaviors such as binge eating. (The medications are also being studied for use with other addictions like alcohol and gambling.)
The WW CEO Sistani admitted that Weight Watchers inadvertently contributed to the shame some members felt if they did not have success with the program.
She says the company has learned from its past and wants to do better.
Sistani says prescription medications are a necessary and life-saving answer, not a cosmetic fix. She says it’s time for a shift in perspective.
“We’ve been treating these medications like it’s a vanity. And it’s not: It’s lifesaving.”
Sima Sistani, CEO of Weight Watchers, November, 2023 in a CNN interview.
According to Sistani, WW will shift its approach, with the belief that obesity is a chronic condition for many individuals. She stated, “For many who are living with obesity, it’s a chronic condition, and therefore, it is not a choice.”
Sistani’s wording about obesity as a chronic condition is important, because GLP-1s are considered an ongoing medication that needs to be taken long-term, if not for life. Once people stop taking them, research shows that weight is quickly regained.
A New WW Approach with Prescription Weight-Loss Drugs
Is Weight Watchers selling diet drugs? Yes….and no.
With the Sequence program, members may consult with telehealth doctors who can prescribe prescription medications for weight loss and diabetes. The program is optional and has an additional fee, plus the cost of medication if it’s not covered by insurance.
Medications are not distributed at meetings, from WW coaches, or through the WW company directly.
Even with Sequence as an optional program, this is a huge shift in strategy from a company that formerly promoted diet and exercise as the way drop pounds.
Now, Sistani says that WeightWatchers can offer a higher level of assistance by providing the option for weight loss medication along with promoting healthy food choices and physical activity.
Oprah Weight Loss Drug Announcement
On December 14th in a People magazine exclusive about Oprah Winfrey and weight loss medication, Oprah revealed that she is taking prescription weight loss drugs while under the supervision of her doctor.
This is a dramatic shift to her previously stated opinion that use of weight loss drugs is like cheating.
Oprah is a WW spokesperson and owns a share of the company.
Is Weight Watchers In It for the Money?
At the end of the day, Weight Watchers is a business, and the goal of any business is to make money.
While WW may be embracing a more open-minded view by admitting that not everyone can achieve weight loss with willpower alone, it’s also true that this is obviously a strategic business plan.
Have they taken it too far, in a move that will alienate loyal members? That is yet to be determined.
What Members are Saying
All of this change, especially with the recent closing of many local WW meeting locations, plus the end of the Weight Watchers food products, has left members doubtful and worried.
Many people are seeking WW alternative options, like the app Healthi.
Yet others embrace the change, whether they choose to personally take medication for weight loss or not. They see it as one more tool that is available for those who want it.
My Beliefs – From Someone with a WW Before & After Success Story
I have been a Weight Watchers member (off and on, like many of us) for over 20 years. I lost 120 pounds by counting points and am maintaining at Lifetime and my goal weight.
I did not use medication during my weight loss process. If these drugs had been available when I was 250+ pounds, and my insurance paid for it, I’m sure I would have taken them.
I felt desperate and hopeless at that point, which is why I empathize with the hundreds of people who email me regularly and express their frustration, depression, and guilt about their body struggles.
I get it, friends. I hear your heart. You are not alone.
Weight Loss is Hard
I’ve been open about the fact that maintaining at my goal weight is not easy. While I have achieved food freedom and weight loss success in ways I never dreamed possible, it’s also true that I have not “arrived” at some magical dream place with food.
- Maintaining at goal requires daily, intentional work and effort every – single – day.
- I count point daily, often pre-tracking what I will eat the next day.
- A good amount (too much?) of my energy, focus, and effort goes into staying within a healthy weight range.
- I deal with real physical hunger and a high food drive. In the last couple years, with the help of additional therapy, I’ve released embarrassment and guilt about that.
We’ve Got to Do Something
Obesity rates in the United States and other developed countries is at an all-time high. Rising rates of childhood obesity are serious. The cost is tremendous, both personally and as a society.
Whether the answer is weight loss medication or something else, the truth is that we’ve got to do something.
Never before in history has a majority of the population had access to (fairly) affordable calorie-dense foods in the way that we have access now. The sad reality is that this blessing and abundance is killing us.
Shame Never Works
I embrace WW’s stance to release shame.
Shame NEVER works for weight loss (or anything else for that matter). If shame worked, most of us would be happily thin by now, because we’ve been putting ourselves down about our weight for years. (Can you relate?)
Weight Loss Drugs are a Tool
Believe it or not, I am not opposed to weight loss medication or weight loss surgery. I know that might surprise some people. I believe the new GLP-1 medications may be lifesaving for many.
However, this a serious decision that is best to discuss with your doctor. These meds have serious side effects, are expensive, and have to be taken for life in order to keep the weight off.
- Are weight loss meds a cure for weight loss problems? Absolutely not.
- Are they a quick fix? No.
- Could they be a help along your weight loss journey? Perhaps, yes.
- Would weight loss medication alone have fixed my weight problem? No. I had spiritual, emotional, and mental health work that needed to be done in order for me to stop the ways I was using and abusing food.
You Belong & Are Accepted Here at The Holy Mess
Here at The Holy Mess, you are important. I care about you.
Often we have people who email us and say, “I don’t know if a real person will actually read this…” Guess what? We do.
Whether it’s getting support in a Facebook group, being part of a Weight Loss Challenge, or as one of our Faithful Finish Lines members, I value you.
- If you take weight loss medication, we accept you.
- If you don’t take weight loss medication, we accept you.
- If you are at your goal weight, we accept you.
- If you are overweight, we accept you.
- If you overeat, binge, are food-obsessed, or addicted, we accept you.
- If you feel hopeless about your body, we accept you.
Shame is a tool of the enemy and will never be used or tolerated in this space for any reason.
Weight loss meds are a controversial topic, and this is a safe place where you can share your opinion, vent your frustrations, and express your concerns. As long as it’s done in a respectful way, your voice will be heard here.
I’m not going any where. No matter what happens with WW, I’m here to support you. I’ve been using this website to help people for almost 10 years and by the grace of God, every year we have grown. I’m sticking around for the long haul, and I hope you’ll come with me for the ride.
Now, it’s your turn. What are your thoughts about the Weight Watchers apology? Share in the comments below.
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I am all for people doing what works best for them but what I am against is the apology from WW. Many members have lost weight with their program helping and saving lives. I think as well if WW would move away changing every 1-2 years, keeping old plans so WW could truly be a system for all including GLP1. I lost weight on WW in 2017 but they changed their program 2018 and it didn’t work for me and I gained weight. I understand their business model is for members to lose and gain come back but while support with programs/plans that worked previously. Im all for change and rebrand and innovation but stop leaving members behind. I kind of see why their stocks are low. WW had high numbers when they had the colors, I don’t see why they don’t bring that system back.
I have been on WW many times throughout my years. Using their point system this time coupled with exercise, I have accomplished the weight loss I needed to have a healthy BMI. The hard part is to not slip back into my old ways. I must say though that WW never once checked in with me to see how I was doing, never sent tips or advice. The only time they checked in with me was to renew my membership. Honestly, Sara, The Holy Mess, did. I read that Oprah Winfrey is losing weight with them now, but a couple weeks prior to that news, she was asked if she ever would take weight lose meds and she clearly said that “was the easy way out”. How does she explain that? Oops! Can’t trust anyone. I haven’t researched the drugs WW are offering so I can’t comment on that part. I read it costs $99.00/month in addition to the WW fees and the actual cost of the drug if not paid by insurance. Just remember folks, this company is there to make money and will gladly take yours. It’s on you to decide if that is worth it for you.
I was a WW member (pre-Covid) and while I’m not sure shame is word I would have used, I know I did not feel supported. I was prescribed Ozempic because I was pre-diabetic but between the side effects and the cost $500/month) I chose not to continue it. Fast forward 4 years, between diet and gym, I am better but am still extremely obese. I am currently on Contrave. I think it’s like the others in your article, except I am in BC, Canada so I don’t think most of those are available here. It’s been almost 3 months and I can say it is definitely not a quick fix. It clearly states it only works when combined with increased exercise and a low calorie diet. I spent first 6 weeks with all of the side effects, then increased depression because I had to stop my anti-depressant two weeks before starting it. (it’s one of the medications that make up Contrave). I felt though that I needed to keep going, so with support of my family, I am. I’m still only at half recommended dose, I still have several (but at least not all) side effects but I have lost 4 kg and feel different about my eating. I can only eat small portions so I am much more cognizant about what I am eating. I have heard that part often stays even after you stop taking it. Even if you think it’s an easy out, please know it is not. I struggle every day, like i did before, just in different ways.
I dont think ww should be involved in drugs. They are onl th apologizing because they are promoting the drug program
I don’t think an apology is owed for using the advice and information that was available at the time during the 60 year history of WW to base the structure of the program. I don’t think WW marketed the GLP-1 program well. They knew what direction they wanted to move WW to, but didn’t clearly inform the current members or even people who might be interested in joining WW I don’t think studio members feel supported with all of the studio closures which make it difficult to attend a meeting or even maintain membership. At this point, I think there is enough information to clearly understand the use of GLP-1 medications with the WW program. I agree that there should be no shame in WW. I just wish shame wasn’t dished out at the scale by WW support. Even though I am 8 pounds below goal I still get the “do you know what you did?” question if I have a gain. I hate weighing in now that I’m at goal, but never minded when I was in weight loss mode. This needs to change!
Thank you so much Sara for giving me recipe ideas and for being so supportive. These past maybe 6 months I was going from one town to another to weigh in at weight watchers instead of my own home town like I always did. I became so very frustrated to learn that one Saturday morning where I have been weighing in [25 minutes away] was now closed, they said I would have to weigh in on an evening there [only 1 to chose from] or once again go to another town. If I didnt weigh in somewhere every month I would be billed for the month. I have been a lifetime member for so many years I cant even count them. I am not comfortable driving out of town and at night, I told them what I thought and they said pretty well, thats the way it is. Now I weigh in on my own in my own home and write it down once a month because of all these changes, I really feel like they just want to disregard all of our lifetimers because we are not bringing money in. I wont go into anymore about how I feel, because I really did feel devalued. Once again thank you for still being there for me, you are better than any weigh in place, .
Lorraine
I agree with you, it’s another tool to be used. WW has to change with the times to remain in a market that is flooded with all kinds of diets. However, WW has stood the test of time because they do adjust accordingly. AND they are a safe bet nutritionally. Instead of being upset with them, ask yourself this question (for those that are upset) why is our country so obese? I am going to blame it on when we started being a country that felt the need to put all kinds of preservatives in our food for the sake of convenience. Other countries do not. I have found out that every time I eat really fresh & clean, my weight drops as well as bloating. I know that there are a lot of other factors involved, but our food is a big part of it.
The only time I ever felt shamed by WW was about 40 years ago when I had an instructor who was not willing to help me because she was too busy talking to her group of friends. She told me if I couldn’t lose weight, then WW wasn’t for me. I did rejoin later and found many helpful leaders and clerks who were genuinely interested in my success, although I never reached goal weight. I talked to my doctor, and she agreed with me that the new medications were not for me at this time because there has not been enough long-term testing, and they may cause exacerbate other health issues. Sadly, all WW meetings in my area are closing by January 1, and only online meetings will be available. I used to like the online meetings, but they did away with the post-meeting breakout groups. While some aspects of the online meetings were favorable, it seemed that there were always certain members who had to dominate the meeting talking about how they manipulated the program. In-person meetings helped me bond with my neighbors and make friends. I used to buy WW snacks and foods when they had sales, although, I have a box of snacks
purchased online before they were all gone. Today, I noticed WW once again changed the app. I am praying about canceling WW and finding another tracker to save the monthly fee. Unfortunately, things do change.
I’ll be honest the reason I stopped Weight Watchers 20 years ago was due to shaming. I didn’t meet a goal during weigh in at the meetings. Everyone else would get praised for their losses and here I was feeling defeated weekly and following the plan. However, through The Holy Mess Weight Loss Challenges, I’ve learned to use the program successfully since April. So, yes, they owe me an apology. I’m still trying to figure out the changes on the app but I’m not leaving Sara & the amazing support received daily! If anything, I would likely pay to do more weight loss challenges in order to keep on track.
I do agree with WW in that there are people who may need medications to keep weight down for a number of reasons. An apology is warranted, but remember, we make decisions with the knowledge we have at the moment. A year, two years, 20 years from now, we would approach the problem differently due to more knowledge, information and experience. This is hind’s sight and it’s being corrected….there’s a spiritual dimension about it…we can be following Christ for years, then suddenly, He reveals to us something we weren’t cognizant before. We feel regret, and if mature, we identify it, then deal with it and move forward with God’s grace. For me, medication is not the answer since my dealings with food are deeper and medication only would solve a part of the problem. If I did take medication, I would lose the weight, but my mental and emotional lies are still there. Going off medication, those mental and emotional lies are still there and I’m pretty sure the weight would come back. I need to look at the root of the problem with God’s grace.